10 Tips for a Perfect CV

10 Tips for a Perfect CV

1. Use a CV writing service. View your CV as an investment, if you can afford it you should consult with a professional CV writing service. A professional service should be able to target your CV to a specific industry and job role, a targeted CV worded to catch the employer’s attention will significantly reduce the time it takes to find employment. If you can’t afford a full CV writing service, templates for targeted CVs are included in the Secrets of Employment E-book.

2. Have your CV appraised for free. A CV appraisal is normally a free service and can be a good opportunity to test out different companies services. When sending your CV for a review ensure that you explain what job role your CV is being used to apply for. Once you receive the appraisal, don’t be afraid to ask any additional questions about their comments or suggestions.

3. CVs should be a maximum of two pages. A little bit of information that is often told but not always adhered to! Most employers only spend 30 seconds skimming through your CV looking for certain criteria, having a CV that is 4 pages long makes this job more difficult. Keep your CV brief and to the point, remember the CV is designed to gain you an interview. It is during the interview that you can recount the nitty gritty details of your vast employment history.

4. Break up the CV text. Employers can receive up to 300 applications for every advertised job – an arduous task for the most committed recruiter! Using Headings, Shadings, Bold, Bullet Points to break up the CV text, making it easier for the employer to read or “skim” through.

5. Use Font size 11 or 12. A simple but often overlooked detail - The text has to be easy to read, employers can spend all day reading CV’s – lets make it easy for them! If you’re struggling to fit the text on one or two pages, use font size 11 but no less. Avoid the use of unusual fonts – Arial is simple and easy to read.

6. Target your CV. You need to have a targeted CV; a targeted CV is a CV written for a particular industry, job position and company. You may like to save a generic CV which can then be edited for specific roles using job specifications and company information.

7. Always send a Covering Letter. Candidates may spend hours on their CV only to undo all their good work by neglecting to enclose with it a Covering Letter. Research undertaken by Employment King indicates that many companies will not even read CVs that are received without a Covering Letter. Some CV writing services offer free Covering Letter letter templates with every CV.

8. CV text should be concise and to the point. An easy mistake to be made with CVs is the temptation to include masses of information, CVs are more difficult to reduce then they are to increase. Everything you have undertaken in your working life is a selling point, on the CV you need to intrigue the employer, leave them wanting to know more. Include around 3 bullet points for each job and start by recording the duties you did that are need for this new role.

9. Match your skills. Once you have applied to a job advert, most employers will send you a job specification. Read the job specification and highlight the “Essential Criteria” these are the main skills the employers is seeking. This criteria must be visible in your CV or you shall not secure an interview. It goes without saying, record that you have these skills on your CV, this way you have nearly guaranteed yourself an interview.

10. Feedback. Remember - there is no failure, only feedback. If your CV does not secure you interviews, you need to change it either yourself or through a CV review service such that provided by Employment King. You should not be afraid to ask employers for feedback, this is considered to be a standard part of the application process and can stand you in good stead for future applications and how you can make yourself even more employable.

What is a Targeted CV?

A targeted CV

I recently received an email querying the difference between a General CV and a Targeted CV,

Many unsuccessful job seekers in fact will not have heard of targeted CVs, having just one CV. Often this CV is of a good standard and records the job hunter’s employment and education history. So, why do you need a targeted CV?

A targeted CV will make you more marketable.

If you’re applying for several job roles, which many job hunters do to help increase their chances of gaining employment you need to create a targeted CV. A targeted CV is a CV aimed at an individual job role and company; research has shown that targeted CVs increase offers of interviews.

First write your general CV, or if needed ask a CV writing service to write one for you. A general CV should record your contact details, personal profile, employment history, education, hobbies and your references.

Once you have a CV, read the job specification for the job you are applying for. The job specification will tell the job hunter what key skills and qualities are essential for this particular job role in this particular organisation, if you possess these essential requirements RECORD them on your CV-it’s these skills the employer is looking for, so many job hunters record information that they feel is relevant, where as the interviewer does not.

The personal profile is often the first section on the CV the employer will read, this is the section on your CV to really sell yourself. Look at the personal profile as a “sales” paragraph, why should the employer interview you? What makes you stand out from the other applicants? Before you write your personal profile, re-read the job specification and only record your transferrable skills needed for this opportunity.
How long does an employer spend reading your CV?

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An employer can receive over 300 CVs for every advertised job role, for any organisation that is a large amount of CVs to read and time is money! In many cases employers will spend 30 seconds “skimming” through your CV quickly looking to see if you have the essential skills and qualities needed for the job role. If you do, the employer will put your CV through to the second round of the application process, spending more time dissecting your CV, helping the employer decide which 6, on average, applicants to interview for every one job position.

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How to write a good CV

What is a good CV?

Only a CV that gains you an interview is worth having. Your CV may look great; have a fantastic image and all the relevant sections. The CV may also tell an employer how amazing and wonderful you are, but if your CV does not gain you interviews then something needs changing.

Sell yourself through your CV

With many people applying for work, they will either have a CV that does not sell their skills and Qualities or a CV that records the skills and qualities they have, which are not relevant to the job role they are applying for.

Targeted CV

You need to target your CV to the industry you are applying for. To do this think about the skills, qualities and duties for the job role you are applying for. Read the job specification for the job role and ensure all the essential requirements are recorded on your CV. Take out any information that is not relevant to the job you are applying for.

On average employers often “skim” through the pile of applicants CVs, spending around 30 seconds reading each CV; this is often due to the large volume of CVs applicants send for every advertised job. Once an employer has created a narrowed down pile of the job applicants CVs, they will then spend longer dissecting each CV to ensure they interview the candidates with the most relevant skills, qualifications and experiences.

Writing a Personal Profile

A personal profile is on average 4-5 lines describing all your skills and qualities that are relevant to the job role you are applying for. This should be a “Selling” paragraph that shows you at your best.

Often the employer will read the personal profile first, if they like the sound of you they will continue to read your CV.

Use a powerful opening line; the opening line needs to catch the employer’s attention. What have you done that will impress an employer? What do you have that an employer will want?

“With over 10 years experience in retail management working with the UKs leading retail companies, I have been responsible for increasing profits year on year for the past 6 years.”

As you can see the opening line above highlights 3 key points to impress an employer:
10 years experience
Working with the UKs leading retail companies
Increasing the companies profits

How create ideas for your Personal Profile

A great way to get your creative juices working is to mind-map; get an A4 piece of paper and draw a little picture of yourself in the middle (this can be a Stick-Person) draw on some hair, eyes, glasses, etc to represent you, like you would do when you was 10 yrs old (this is to get in to the mind of your inner-child and will help you to be more creative)

Think and write down everything you like about yourself, everything you are good at. Most people find this hard to do at first, but once you get going you want be able to stop. Don’t be shy; no one is going to see this, write down every little thing, not just worked related but anything you are good at.

You may have recorded a verity of work, hobbies and family related task, now think what skills and qualities that make you good at this task? And record all of these. Keeping going until you have exhausted your brain.

As an example –

Cooking – good timing, multi-tasking, planning ahead, following a list/recipe, work under pressure, experienced, good pallet, etc

Once you have done this, your mind-map will be full (and hopefully overcrowded) with task, skills and qualities. Now think about the industry you are applying to, think about the job duties, skills and qualities needed.

Circle (in a bright coloured pen) all the task, skills and qualities you have on your mind map that are related to your job goal. You will find that often a certain skill or quality will have been mentioned several times throughout your mind-map, write these down as these can often be your strongest transferable skill and quality (your selling point)

You now have a list of your strongest skills and qualities that are needed for the job you are applying for, this is the basis for your personal profile. Turn your list into a paragraph, adding a strong opening line. Re-read and then edit your personal profile 3 times/or until you are completely happy with your personal profile.

How to Write a CV

Having a CV (Or Curriculum Vitae meaning “Passage of Life”) is an important tool for all job searchers, as a CV records all your employment history and qualification on one document. You can use your CV to prepare for interviews/interview questions, to assist you when completing application forms and for applying for work.

CV Image.

The layout of your CV is important, on average employers spend around 30 seconds initially “skimming” through your CV, this due to the amount of CVs employers receive for every advertised job role.

Keep your CV to 1 or 2 pages, use Headings and Breakers to split up the CV text, making it easier for the employer to read.

What to put on a CV

Contact Details.

Record your name, address, telephone number and e-mail address. Ensure your telephone (and especially your mobile) number is correct, due to the amount of times individuals change mobile phone companies and numbers, people often forget to update their CV.

Also use a professional sounding e-mail address.

Personal Profile.

A personal profile is a paragraph around 4-5 lines recording all your key skills and qualities that are needed for the job you are applying for. This is often the most important part of the CV, as this is often the first section on the CV an employer looks for and reads. Ensure your personal paragraph shows you in your most positive light.

Employment History.

Start with your current or last job and work backwards; record the company you work for (company name) date you worked there (just add the years you worked as this will help delete small periods of unemployment) job title and duties.

Keep your duties brief and relevant to the new job you are applying for. Often people will record information they felt was important, where you need to record the information and duties your potential new employer wants to know about.

Qualifications.

Record the education establishment, years attended and qualification achieved. Record qualifications achieved at school/college/university and qualifications achieved in employment.

Hobbies.

To end your CV record what you enjoy doing in your spare time, if possible record information that again is relevant to the job you are applying for. Never record “socialising with friends” as this is often mistaken for “drinking with friends”

Record any Volunteering experience as many employers enjoy see this very positively as it shows, commitment and dedication.

References.

You can either record your references, or record “references available on Request” As most employers will only ask for your references during or after the interview section of the application process.

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